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Eleven of 17 antennas used to connect to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network were deliberately set on fire at a secure site near Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, Bulgarian lawmaker Ivaylo Mirchev said. The incident is under investigation.
Mirchev, co-chair of the Yes, Bulgaria! party, said two masked men carried out the arson attack. He called on Bulgaria’s security services and Interior Ministry to clarify whether they had prior knowledge of the incident and accused the government of remaining silent.
He said the targeted antennas provided a backbone communications link to Starlink satellites, whose services are also used by Ukraine.
Mirchev drew parallels with a similar arson attack on a Starlink facility in Poland in late September. He said Polish authorities had publicly disclosed the incident and responded quickly, adding that two Turkish nationals had been arrested in connection with the Polish case.
Mirchev also said the Polish side believed Russia was behind the sabotage. However, no evidence has been publicly presented establishing Russian involvement in the Bulgarian incident.
Bulgarian authorities withhold details
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev declined to disclose details of the investigation, saying it was ongoing and intensive. He urged the head of the State Agency for National Security to refrain from revealing information while investigators were working on the case.
Radev said he expected the investigation to be completed soon, with assistance from partner security services.
Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said security measures at similar facilities had been strengthened.
On October 14, Bulgaria’s State Agency for National Security said it had not ruled out further acts of sabotage and confirmed that Starlink communications capabilities were also used by Ukraine for military purposes.
The incident comes amid growing concern among European authorities over suspected Russian-linked sabotage targeting infrastructure and communications networks that support Ukraine.
